Hoist line grapple for handling logs



Feb. 19, 1957 J. G. LA BONTE ET AL 2,782,957

HOIST LINE GRAPPLE FOR HANDLING LOGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1952 aBonfe 77 Joseph Daniel 0. Chamgfl INVENTORS.

Feb. 19, 1957 J. G. LA BONTE ETAL 2,732,057

HOIST LINE GRAPPLE FOR HANDLING LOGS Filed June 23, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Joseph 6. LaBom Daniel 0. Chase,

. INVENTOR.

BY 1M 15% J. G. LA BONTE ETAL ,7 ,67

HOIST LINE GRAPPLE FOR HANDLING LOGS Feb. 19, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 25, 1952 INVENTORS.

Joseph 6 LaBm/e Daniel 0. Chase Fl g- 3 United States Patent HOIST LINE GRAPPLE FOR HANDLING LOGS Joseph G. La Bonte and Daniel D. Chase IH, Manchester, N. H.

Application June 23, 1952, Serial No. 295,082

1 Claim. Cl. 294-113 Our invention relates to improvements in hoist line grapples for handling pulp wood logs in order to load the same into trucks, cars and the like.

By way of premise, pulp wood logs are cut into substantially uniform length and stacked at the lumbering operation in approximately four feet high piles with the logs as nearly parallel as possible in the piles and held in piled relation by stakes or the like. 7

The primary object of our invention is to provide a grapple for suspension from a hoist line of a crane, or the like, and which is especially designed to pick-up and release a relatively large number of such logs in orderly arrangement for loading the same into a truck, or car, and which will save time and labor in the loading operation.

Another object is to provide a grapple for the above purpose which is especially adapted to pick-up a number of the bottom and side logs in the pile by the ends of the logs so that those logs will lift other logs out of the pile and support the same.

Still another object is to provide a grapple adapted to pick up logs in the manner above specified which is equipped with prongs for biting into and picking up the logs by the ends thereof, and which is also provided with efficient means for disengaging the prongs to release the ends of the logs.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of our invention, together with the precise nature of our improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of our improved grapple in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in plan of the same;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation partly broken away and shown in section;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 3, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one of the side arms of the swing'able sections of the grapple and illustrating one of the prongs thereon and other parts connected thereto.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, our improved grapple, as shown therein, is of generally elongated, rectangular shape and comprises as its basic components relatively swingable and fixed short and long grapple sections 1, 2, respectively, of right angled form longitudinally of the grapple, the relatively fixed section 2 being equipped in a manner presently explained for suspension from a hoist line cable and the swingable 2,782,067 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 ICE grapple section being pivotally mounted, as presently de scribed, on the fixed section 2 so that the grapple maybe lowered by the hoist line into straddling relation to a pile of logs with opposite ends of the grapple opposed to the ends of the logs at opposite ends of the pile.

The short grapple section 1 comprises a pair of angle 'bars 3, 4 at opposite sides of the grapple of hollow form and forming upper longitudinal side arms 5, 6 for said section 1 and depending downwardly converging end arms 7, 8 for said sections at one end of the grapple. An upper transverse channel bar 9 connects the arms 7, 8 and a lower transverse hollow bottom bar 10 connects the lower terminals of said arms 7, 8 while a pair of vertical bars 11, 12 connect said transverse bars 9, 10 upon opposite sides of the vertical center of said section 1. A vertically hollow bar 13 is suitably fixed to the transverse bars 9, 10 and rises above the section 1, said bar 13 being disposed in the vertical center of said section 1.

The long section 2 also comprises a pair of hollow angle bars at opposite sides of the grapple which are designated 14, 15 and which provides longitudinal side arms 16, 17 on said section 2 and downwardly converging depending end arms 18, 19 at the other end of the grapple. Upper and lower transverse bars 20, 21 like the bars 9, 10 connect the end arms 18, 19 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and vertical bars 22, 23 like the bars 11, 12 connect said upper and lower bars 20, 21. A central hollow angle bar 24 shorter than the section 2 is provided in the vertical longitudinal center of the section 2, like the 'bar 13 of section 1 and which is suitably fixed to the cross bars 20, 21 and extend longitudinally and centrally along the top of the section 2rcoplanar with the bar 13. Top cross bars 25, 26 connect the side arms 16, 17 adjacent opposite ends of the section 2 and to which the bar 24 is suitably fixed.

Chains 28 are suitably connected, as at 29 to opposite ends of the cross bars 25, 56 for connection to a hoist cable 30 to suspend the section 2 in fixed position relative to the section 1 and terminal pivotal connections 32, 33 are provided between the side arms 3, 14 and 4, 15 to provide for vertical lateral swinging of the section 1 outwardly and inwardly of the section 2, for a purpose presently clear.

Pressure means is provided for swinging the section 1 comprising a hydraulic, or pneumatic cylinder 35 suitably bolted, as at 36, on a bracket 37 to extend longitudinally of the section 1 above the same coplanar with the bar 24, the bracket 37 being pivoted, as at 38, on a longitudinal riser fin 39 on said bar 24 for vertical swinging of the cylinder for a purpose presently seen. A plunger 41 in the cylinder 35 extends out of the cylinder with a suitable head 42 thereon pivoted, as at 43 to the upper end of the 'bar 13 to swing the section 1, the pivot 38 providing for compensating swinging of the cylinder 35 during swinging of the section 1. The plunger 41 is projected outwardly of the cylinder 35 to swing the section 1 inwardly of the section 2.

A pressure and release line 45 is suitably attached to the cylinder 35 for connection to a source, not shown, of controlled pressure, either hydraulic or pneumatic, so that pressure may be admitted to the cylinder 35 to project the plunger 41 and be discharged from said cylinder.

Spring means is provided for normally swinging the section 1 outwardly of the section 2 into substantially the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The spring means comprises a coil contractile spring 48 circumposed on a series of parallel rods 49 extending longitudinally of and alongside the bar 24 and fixed at one end in the connecting disk 50, the spring "being suitably fixed to said disk and a lateral abutment 52 on the bar 24 through which the rods 49 slidably project, in a manner not shown, said disk 50 being pivotally secured by a yoke 54 to a lateral lug 53 on the bar 13 between the pivot 43 and the pivotal connections 32, 33, the arrangement being such that contraction of the spring 43 will move the disk 50 to cause inward swinging of section 1.

The sections 1, 2 are provided at opposite ends of the grapple with prong means for biting into the ends of the logs and with means for disengaging the prongs from the ends of the logs, and which being identical at each end of the grapple need merely be described in connection with one end of said grapple solely.

For example, the depending arms 7, 3 of the section 1 at one end of the grapple are provided with inwardly extending sharp pointed prongs, or studs, 55 spaced vertically along said arms and the lower transverse bar is provided with similar prongs, or studs, 56 spaced along the same, said prongs extending equidistantly inwardly of the grapple and being secured to said arms 7, 8 and to the bar 10 by nuts 57 threaded on the prongs 55 and nuts 58 threaded on the prongs 56. The prongs 55 are spaced apart to bite into the ends of logs 64B of a pile, or stack, as shown in Figure 1 in dotted lines and the prongs 56 are spaced apart to bite into the ends of logs 60 of the side of the pile or stack.

As regards the means for disengaging the prongs from the ends of the logs, or vice versa, and by way of example, a rigid disengaging panel 65 at the inner side of the arms 7, 8 of section 1 and extending across said arms for substantially the width of the grapple is provided with apertures 66, 67 for projection of the prongs 55, 56 therethrough and is slidably mounted on said arms 7, 8 for lateral movement toward said arms 7, 3 to permit the prongs 55, 56 to project through said apertures 66, 67 into engagement with the ends of the logs, said panel being slidable away from said arms 7, 8 inwardly of the grapple to push the ends of the logs 66 off said prongs. For slidably mounting the panel 65 studs 70 on the panel 65 are slidably fitted in vertically spaced sleeves 71 on said arms 7, with nuts 72 on said studs engaging said sleeves 71 to limit sliding of said panel away from said arms 7. S inwardly of the grapple. Expansion coil spring 75 backs the panel 65 to slide the same into disengaging position and are fitted over studs 76 on said panel 65 and in socket brackets 76, 77 on the arms 7, 8 and the bar 13, the brackets 76, 77 being arranged adjacent the corners of the panel 65 and in the center thereof. The prongs at the other end of the grapple correspond to the prongs 55, 56 are designated $1, 81 the disengaging panel corresponding to the panel 65 is designated 32, the studs for slidably mounting the panel 82 are designated 83 and the backing springs for the panel 82 are designated 84.

Suitable stop strips 36, 87 of metal are welded at 88 to the inner vertical corners of the arms 7, 8 to limit movement of the panel 65 toward the arms 7, 8 and similar stop strips 9%) are similarly provided on the inner corners of the arms 18, 19 to limit movement of the panel 32 toward said arms 18, 19, it being understood that the angle bars 3, d and i4, are made of metal suitable for welding said strips thereto.

in using the described grapple pressure is released from the cylinder 35 and the swingable section 1 is swung outwardly under the influence of the spring 48. The grapple is then lowered by the hoist line 3% in straddling relation to the pile of logs as into substantially the illustrated relation to the pile of logs shown in full lines in Figure 1.. Pressure is then admitted to the cylinder 35, under any suitable control, not shown, to project the piston 41 outwardly of the cylinder 35 and swing the section 1 toward the section 2, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, so

that the prongs 55 and at the opposite ends of the grapple will bite into the ends of the logs 60 at the side of the pile, and the prongs 56, 81 will bite into the bottom logs as of the pile to pick up a number of the logs, the panels 65, 82 first engaging the ends of the logs 60 and being pressed thereby toward the arms 7, 8 on the one hand and the arms 18, 1% on the other hand in opposition to the springs backing said panel and so that the prongs project through said panels. Upon release of pressure from the cylinder 35, by any suitable control, not shown. the spring 48 will swing the section 1 outwardly and the described springs backing the panels 65, 82 will move the panels 65, 82 so as to disengage the prongs by shoving the ends of the logs off said prongs. Of course, outward swinging of the section 1 will tend to pull the prongs 55, 56 out of the ends of the logs 60 but disengagement of the prongs 55, 56 is greatly facilitated by the panel 65 and prevents logs 60 from becoming stuck on the prongs 55, 56 and being pulled thereby out of longitudinal position in the pile.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of our invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A rectangular grapple for lifting longitudinally piled logs out of a pile comprising a relatively long and relatively short section, each section comprising a pair of angle bars at opposite sides of the grapple forming a pair of longitudinal upper arms on each section, said upper arms terminating in pairs of depending end arms at opposite ends of the grapple, means pivotally connecting the pairs of longitudinal upper arms together for swinging of the short section on the long section in opposite directions to swing the end arms thereof toward and away from the end arms of the long section, a hoist line suspending the long section for lowering the same and the short section to position said pairs of end arms opposite the opposite ends of the logs, a crossbar connecting the lower end of each pair of end arms, means on said grapple for swinging the short section in opposite directions, prongs on said end arms and crossbars for biting into the ends of the logs when said end arms of the short arms are swung toward the end arms of the long section, sleeves on the end arms, panels having studs fast thereto, said studs being slidably engaged within the sleeves, said panels having holes in registration with the prongs on said arms through which the prongs protrude when the panels are moved toward the arms, springs on the studs between the panels and the arms normally operating to hold the panel yieldably separated from the arms and means on the studs preventing their disengagement from the sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 210,652 Whittier Dec. 10, 1878 1,014,098 Knox Jan. 9, 1912 ..,370,528 Fontainc Feb. 27, 1945 2,527,922 Falkner Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 194,730 Germany Jan. 29, 1908 

